Complementary And Alternative Medicine Use In Turkish Patients With Epilepsy.

Context • Epilepsy is a condition characterized by

abnormal and excessive electrical discharges of cortical

neurons resulting sudden, repetitive, event-triggered

seizures. Epilepsy is most common neurologic disorder

during childhood and the second most common

neurological disorder following cerebrovascular diseases

in adults. Use of CAM in persons with epilepsy is high,

even compared to individuals with other chronic health

conditions.

Objectives • We aimed to determine the prevalence, types,

and factors influencing use of complementary and

alternative medicine (CAM) in adults with epilepsy.

Methods • The subjects of this descriptive study consisted

of 96 patients with epilepsy in the outpatient neurology

clinic of a hospital in Erzurum, Turkey.

Frequency, percentage and other descriptive statistics

were used to describe and summaries data.

Results • While most patients preferred CAM use (76%)

for treatment of epilepsy patients some did not (24%).

Spiritual practices was the most commonly used therapy

in 66.7 % of patients. Although 74% of the subjects

reported that they were satisfied with their use of CAM,

the majority (97%) did not discuss the use of these

therapies with their primary physicians. It was determined

that variables such as gender, education level, residential

area, marital status, and level of income and affected the

use of CAM (P < .05).

Conclusion • Turkish patients with epilepsy frequently

use CAM in addition to standard medical therapy. Nurses

caring for patient with epilepsy should initiate a dialogue

about usage of CAM, discussing the potential adverse

effects of CAM and the patient’s therapeutic goals. (Altern

Ther Health Med. 2021;27(4):19-23).